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Europe unveiled

Fatima Doubakil of the 'Hijab Outcry' campaign speaks to members of the media outside the Swedish Government building in Stockholm, Sweden, 20 August 2013, after a meeting with Swedish Minister of Justice, Beatrice Ask, following an alleged attack on a woman wearing a hijab on 16 August. (EPA/ANDERS WIKLUND)

A recent brutal attack on a pregnant Muslim woman wearing a headscarf has caused outrage in Sweden. The incident has once again shed light on the hot button issue of the hijab in Europe. While some claim governments have the right to uphold secularism by outlawing religious symbols and apparel in public spaces, critics believe these restrictions are mainly targeting Muslims and a result of growing anti-immigrant sentiment. So, do governments have the right to implement laws that promote secularism?

Europe unveiled

What’s behind the fixation on women who wear Muslim headscarves?

Debates over race, religion, and immigration in Europe extend beyond Sweden's Muslim population. Most recently, a 16-year-old French Muslim girl was attacked for wearing a hijab. France is the first European country to ban the niqab, or full-face veil.

Veiled Muslim women protesting after the young Muslim girl was attacked:

France's headscarf ban has caused a domino effect across Europe. Several European countries also banned the niqab,while others are debating similar laws. France has the largest Muslim population in Europe, estimated at five million.

Laïcité, French for secularism, is a heated topic both in France, both on and offline.

lemonde.fr

Translation:Secularism on paper is good. I would not want to live in a society that is rules by religion.